


Fortunate Son

by veefromthesun



Series: MadMoon: a series of fics [2]
Category: American Gods (TV)
Genre: M/M, Madmoon, Post s01e02, anyway there are no triggers in this fic, i never know what to write here, supernatural stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 04:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10891368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veefromthesun/pseuds/veefromthesun
Summary: [MadMoon] [Missing Moments]All work and no play makes Shadow a dull boy. He could use a friendly presence, after so many hours on the road, especially now that he thinks he's going a little mad.





	Fortunate Son

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to another little MadMoon fic! I missed writing about these two idiots, so here I am. I dedicate this to @maelipie :D  
> As I always say, English is not my first language and I apologize for any mistakes.  
> Please let me know what you think about this fic! Enjoy x

Mr Wednesday was sleeping. He was always sleeping. He had told Shadow that it was his talent: falling asleep whenever and wherever he wanted. Shadow was envious of that gift.  
Lately he wasn’t sleeping a lot, and when he was lucky enough to fall asleep, he dreamed of buffaloes with flaming eyes or lady-cat hybrids, or maybe his dead wife; and generally, in his nightmares, there was always a lot of blood.  
He looked at Mr Wednesday, asleep on the passenger seat. He had been asleep since Shadow had turned on the car radio. Mr Wednesday had given him directions, before falling asleep, to be honest.  
-No highways. They’re all the same. I hate them- he had said. Shadow thought that maybe he could disobey, since Mr Wednesday was sound asleep, but he sensed that Mr Wednesday would’ve found out anyway. That man had some sort of sixth sense for stuff like that. Shadow was starting to get used to it. 

Bored as hell, Shadow started playing with the car radio. He stopped when he found some classic rock station. He sighed and tried to find a more comfortable position. He had been driving non-stop for a few hours. He wasn’t sleepy, but he was starting to feel the weight of those sleepless nights. He thought about drinking that energy drink he’d saved for later...  
-Hello, hello? Is this thing working?- said the radio. The guy who was speaking had a thick Irish accent. It was familiar. Shadow chose to ignore it.  
-Hello? Don’t ignore me, come on, Shads. Are you there?-  
The radio was talking to him; and the radio, apparently, had Mad Sweeney’s voice.  
Shadow frowned and stared at the object. The radio looked harmless, and was now playing a Creedence Clearwater Revival song.  
-You know, this song makes me think about you. No, you’re no _fortunate son_. Otherwise you would’ve never met… how d’you call him? Mr Wednesday? Damn it, Shads. You really need some luck.-  
Shadow held the steering wheel tighter. It was okay. He was tired. That’s why he was hearing Sweeney’s voice on the radio. It wasn’t Sweeney: it couldn’t be. And surely, the radio speaker didn’t know his name. _Or nickname_.  
-You should be thankful I’m your friend, Shads.-  
The voice came from the back seat, this time. Shadow looked in the rear-view mirror and found out that Mad Sweeney was sitting there, in Mr Wednesday’s car, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.  
Shadow hit the brakes.

For a second, he believed that everything was fine. He was just going a little mad. There was no one in the back seat. Everything was fine.  
Then he heard Mad Sweeney shout.  
-What the fuck are you doing, Shads? Do you want to kill us all? You can’t just stop a car like that!?-  
Shadow quickly looked at Mr Wednesday. He was still asleep, and he looked fine.  
-God damn it- whispered Shadow, and got out of the car. Mad Sweeney followed him.  
-Hey! Where do you think you’re going?-  
-Dude, leave me alone, alright? You scared the living shit outta me. You son of a bitch.-  
-There’s no need to call me names, Shads.-  
Shadow closed his eyes and tried his best to breathe.  
-How long have you been hidden there?- he asked, calmly, after a few seconds.  
-What do you mean? I just got here. I wasn’t hiding.-  
-Of course you were. This is just one of your tricks.-  
Mad Sweeney smiled. Wide.  
-You liked the last one, didn’t you?-  
Shadow felt his cheeks become red. He had remembered what had happened after their fistfight, in the end. He had left the gold coin on his wife’s grave, but he couldn’t just forget what he’d felt when Mad Sweeney had kissed him. Shadow looked somewhere else. He didn’t want to talk about that.  
-So? You’ve… just arrived?- he asked, instead. -And you’ve announced yourself through _the fucking radio_?-  
-I do that only on special occasions.-  
-Oh, I’m flattered- said Shadow through his teeth.  
-Someone’s worried. Why is it so important if I’ve been hiding in the back seat of your car or not?- Mad Sweeney asked. He got closer to Shadow.  
-Have you been naughty, Shads? Do you have something to hide?-  
-Oh, _fuck you_ , Sweeney- said Shadow, walking back to his car. He opened his door and stopped there. He turned and he looked at Mad Sweeney. He was standing exactly where Shadow had left him.  
_Does he look… sad?_ Son of a bitch. He had offended _a leprechaun_. And he felt _sorry_.  
_I must be the worst person in the world_ , he said to himself.  
-You coming or what?- he found himself asking. He immediately regretted it, when he saw Mad Sweeney’s wide grin.  
-I thought you’d never ask.-  
-As if you needed an invitation to just appear and fuck me up.-  
-You’ll have to be nicer to me, Shads. But thanks. I accept the lift.-  
Shadow shook his head and got into the car. Sweeney was already lying on the back seat.  
-Do you have to be somewhere in particular?- asked Shadow. He started the engine.  
-Technically, yes. But it can wait. I just wanted to say hello.-  
-Well, hello.-  
Mad Sweeney’s laughter filled the interior of the car.  
-You’re terrible, Shads. You’re absolutely terrible. I can’t believe I missed you.-  
Shadow’s stomach ached painfully. He swallowed and glanced at Mr Wednesday: luckily, he was still sleeping.  
-Oh, really? Should I apologize about that?-  
-Now, you’re basically asking me to punch you.-  
-Good idea. Punch me until my brain stops seeing and dreaming weird stuff. You might even help me, Sweeney.-  
-You dream weird stuff?- Sweeney asked. Then he kept quiet, as if he had something on his mind. -How weird, exactly?-  
-Forget it. It’s stupid.-  
-I’m sorry if you’re not getting your beauty sleep, Shads. I don’t think punching you will solve the problem, but maybe I can do something for you. Alright. That’s enough. I gotta go. Thanks for the lift, Shads. I’ll see you around.-  
-Hold, on, what are you talking…- Shadow started asking, only to realize Mad Sweeney was already gone.  
Shadow stopped the car once again. He checked every corner of the vehicle, and found out that there was no trace of the _leprechaun_.  
He sat in the car and stared at the empty road for a while. Mr Wednesday, beside him, moved slightly.  
-Are we there yet?- the old man asked.  
-What? No. No yet.-  
-Something’s wrong?-  
-I… I think I’m losing my mind.-  
-You told me already, Shadow,- Mr Wednesday said. He stretched and turned to face the window. -It’s just the way it is. Don’t worry about things you can’t control.-  
And he fell asleep.  
-...thanks?- said Shadow. He shook his head and started the engine once more.  
He wondered how Mad Sweeney could help him sleep. Maybe he was just messing with him, as always.  
Shadow realized the radio was still on. He thought about shutting it off, but then he didn’t. The sign he’d just passed welcomed them in Kentucky. If Shadow’s calculations were correct, he still had to drive for at least two hours. He would’ve needed some music.  
-Hey, Sweeney… if you can hear me,- he said, even if Mad Sweeney wasn’t there. But fuck it, the guy had just appeared and disappeared. Shadow didn’t know the rules, if there were any: maybe Sweeney was listening, wherever he was. -I really could use some sleep tonight. So, yeah. I’d be grateful if you helped me. And, oh, thanks for the coin. And sorry for being a douche. Just… don’t scare me again like that. Got it?-  
No one answered of course, but he had the weird feeling that Sweeney had heard him.

-I’m fucking losing my mind.- Shadow laughed. He turned the volume up and let the old car’s engine roar.


End file.
